ELDERLY CENTER IDRIJA

LOCATION
Idrija, Slovenija

CLIENT
Ministry of labour, family, social affairs and equal opportunities

PROJECT YEAR
competition 2006 - 1st Prize
project 2010
construction 2011

ARCHITECTURE OFFICE
Ravnikar - Potokar arhitekturni biro d.o.o.

COMPETITION TEAM
Robert Potokar, Sabina Colnar, Ajdin Bajrović, Mateja Šetina, Carlos Graca

PROJECT TEAM
Robert Potokar, Andrej Strehovec, Marjan Starič

PROJECT OF INTERIOR DESIGN
Andrej Strehovec, Maja Slapernik, Robert Potokar

PHOTOS
Andrej Strehovec

The new conceptual architectural design retains the original principles: the characteristics of the site, the geometry of the plot, its orientation towards the cardinal directions, and views towards the church as a landmark to the north, as well as views towards the south and the surrounding hills in the background. The building is further defined by its purpose, as it is primarily intended as a home for elderly residents.

The programme is distributed across three levels:
- a partially open public level with a mixed programme on the ground floor;
- a service level with additional public facilities in the basement; and
- the residential and sleeping areas distributed across four upper floors.

The building is conceived as a contemporary, light-filled house with references to traditional architecture. Its primary architectural motif is a pure volume with a flat roof and solid side façades, articulated by recessed window openings and niches. The northern and southern façades are open and set within the main volume, further articulated by inserted timber cubes.

The cubes represent individual houses, serving as a paraphrase of the former “little houses” inhabited by the residents of the home, now brought together beneath a single roof. The motif of smaller units gathered under one roof was also employed by Plečnik in his project of houses beneath a municipal roof.

Natural materials are used throughout both the interior and the external architectural envelope, reinforcing the sense of domesticity and creating a warm, homelike atmosphere.